Last season UConn surprised the men's college basketball world by winning the national title.

You don't hear much about them this season, at least in regards to winning it all.There is plenty of talk about Kentucky, the Huskies' opponent in last year's championship game. The Wildcats are loaded...

Last season UConn surprised the men's college basketball world by winning the national title.

You don't hear much about them this season, at least in regards to winning it all.There is plenty of talk about Kentucky, the Huskies' opponent in last year's championship game. The Wildcats are loaded...

(SHANNON RYAN)

Keep an eye on: Freshman Daniel Hamilton, an elite recruit, will be counted upon to fill the big role played by DeAndre Daniels, and junior Omar Calhoun is looking to make a big comeback from a frustrating sophomore season.

The skinny: The Huskies might be even more talented than last season, but it would be hard to duplicate the way things came together in March. UConn plays a difficult nonconference schedule but should do well in the American and position itself for another tournament adventure.

Keep an eye on: Forward Justin Martin, a 6-6 grad-student transfer from Xavier, where he averaged 5.7 rebounds and shot 37 percent on three-point attempts, could be a valuable, versatile addition.

The skinny: SMU was considered the league favorite until elite guard Emmanuel Mudiay chose to skip college and play pro ball in China. Still, Brown, at 73, one of the great coaches in the game, has 10 returning players — a cast experienced and on board with his philosophies — and the window for him to do something big at SMU will never be open wider than it is right now.

Keep an eye on: Sophomore Kuran Iverson, from Hartford (Northwest Catholic), is in his second year at Memphis. Will he break through and get significant minutes? His length at 6-9 and speed make him ideal for the Tigers’ style.

The skinny: Johnson transfers from Vanderbilt and figures to be the starting point guard, a veteran taking over an experienced team. Pastner is 130-44 at Memphis but has never reached the Sweet 16, so a large, intense fan base will be looking for more.

Keep an eye on: The Bearcats have a lot of newcomers. Freshmen Octavius Ellis and Gary Clark and sophomore Kevin Johnson, among other young players will have to step up.

The skinny: Cincinnati lost much of its scoring, especially in the departure of Sean Kilpatrick. It’s a rebuilding cycle, but the Bearcats look to be characteristically big and physical, and with Cronin’s ability to mold, they should accumulate wins against the weak bottom half of the conference.

Keep an eye on: Six players from junior colleges have arrived at Houston, so the Cougars, who lost a lot of players in the coaching transition from James Dickey to Sampson, are looking for a quick rebuild as they try to reclaim their basketball tradition.

The skinny: Sampson, fired six years ago at Indiana, has NBA experience, which is a good thing in a league with Larry Brown and Kevin Ollie. The Cougars will miss leading scorers Danuel House and TaShawn Thomas, who transferred.

Keep an eye on: Freshman Obi Enechionyia, 6-8, is a notable newcomer and with Watson, 6-11, should give the Owls improved rebounding.

The skinny: Temple lost a lot of production — Dalton Pepper, Anthony Lee and others. But like Cincinnati, the Owls have a proven coach and should pile up some wins in this conference. They play an ambitious nonconference schedule — Duke, Kansas, Villanova, St. Joseph’s included — that could make or break any tournament hopes.

Keep an eye on: Keith Pinckney, another guard, could add quickness to a team that looks as if it will have to be very quick to make up for a lack of size. The Green Wave were on the negative side in rebounding last season.

The skinny: Dabney is considered one of the better players in the league. Tulane was 12-7 at home last season, and New Orleans could be a tough place for, say, UConn to play. But a middle-of-the-pack C-USA Team can’t be expected to do much better in the AAC.

Keep an eye on: The Pirates add three Division I transfers who sat out last season, including Terry Whisnant, a guard from Florida State. Central Connecticut plays at East Carolina on Nov. 30.

The skinny: ECU has a veteran team as it makes the transition to the new league, and like most former C-USA teams, the school is excited about the AAC and the upgrade in exposure it offers. Like Tulane, the Pirates were outrebounded last season, which figures to make life tough in this league.

Keep an eye on: Masssive center Justin McBride (6-10, 325), who became a factor late last season, could be a tough matchup for teams with slender frontcourt players. A.J. Davis, a 6-9 transfer from Tennessee, could also give the Knights size.

The skinny: UCF has no postseason moments to show for its investment in facilities, so there will be pressure on Jones to make a move in the conference. The Knights will miss Isaiah Sykes, who alone made them competitive last season. They don’t have a particularly strong nonconference schedule, so they will have to win a lot of games to get into the tournament.

Keep an eye on: Redshirt freshmen Bo Zeigler and Dre Clayton will have to make an impact on a very young team.

The skinny: Another new beginning at USF, which made a well-regarded hire in Antigua, a top assistant at Kentucky. However, seven players transferred, so he will be installing an uptempo system with inexperienced players. This figures to take time to come together.